Screed unit and suspending means



Aug. 28, 1962 J. H. APEL ETAL SCREED UNIT AND SUSPENDING MEANS mm QR 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 JNVENTORS. JOHN H. APEL ROBERT J. BEESON BY- MAHONEY, MILLER &

RAMBO ATTORNEYS Q Aug. 28, 1962 J. H. APEL ETAL SCREED UNIT AND SUSPENDING MEANS N m mmmz 2 WHEMEJ MW N N 7 e E l R S N T T -r a WWW m R w 4 H MM M Mm V! V! B 8 Filed Sept. 11, 1959 Aug. 28, 1962 J. H. APEL ETAL 3,051,062

SCREED UNIT AND SUSPENDING MEANS Filed Sept. 11, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 ROBERT J. BEESON BY-MAHONEY, MILLER &

RAMB ,ATTORNEYS BY 7 J M 1962 J. H. APEL ETAL 3,051,062

SCREED UNIT AND SUSPENDING MEANS Filed Sept. 11, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 I amt: 'l n 6 INVENTORS. JOHN H. APEL ROBERTJ. BEESON BY- MAHONEY, MILLER &

RAMBO. ATTORNEYS 3,051,062 SQREED UNIT AND SUSPENDING MEANd John H. Apel and Robert J. Beeson, Coinnibns, Ohio, assignors to The .Iaeger Machine Company, Columbus, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed Sept. 11, 1959, fier. No. 839,387 4 Claims. (CI. 94-45) Our invention relates to a screed unit and suspending means. It has to do, more particularly, with a screed unit of improved structure in combination with improved means for suspending it from the frame of a road finishing machine which is supported for movement along side forms to operate on road-building material after it has been spread and struck-oif between the side forms.

One of the objects of our invention is to provide a screed unit which includes a main screed portion of less length than the distance between the side forms and which carries flexibly mounted shoes at the ends thereof which rest on the respective side forms.

Another object of our invention is to provide means for suspending the main portion of the screed from the machine frame for reciprocation and to permit adjustrrent of the main portion of the screed relative to the side forms, even downwardly therebetween, while still permitting reciprocation of the screed main portion laterally of the frame.

In the accompanying drawings, the preferred embodiment of our invention is illustrated and in these drawrugs:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of a finisher float machine in which our invention is embodied.

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of a portion of our screed unit.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIGURE 2 at the end of the screed unit and showing the end shoe associated therewith.

FIGURE 4 is a vertical sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is a vertical sectional view taken along line 5-5 of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged elevational view taken along line 6-6 of FIGURE 2 showing screed driving and supporting mechanism.

FIGURE 7 is a vertical sectional view taken along line 77 of FIGURE 6.

With reference to FIGURE 1, our invention is shown embodied in a finisher float machine 33 although it is not necessarily limited to this type of machine. This machine may be pulled along by any power propelled unit indicated at 32 and which is shown provided with a coupling a coupled to a coupling '45 on a tongue 44 pivoted for vertical swinging movement at 53 to the forward truss member 42 of the main frame 40. This frame 40 consists mainly of the longitudinally extending side beam members 41 which are held in longitudinally extending spaced relationship by means of the transversely extending forward and rearward truss members disposed therebetween. The frame 49 is shown in FIGURE 1 supporting a screed 38 and a float pan 39. It will be noted from FIGURE 1 that the trusses 42 are braced by longitudinally extending channel members '47 which have their forward and rearward ends rigidly attached to the respective trusses 42 and which are disposed in laterally spaced parallel relationship along the trusses. Thus, the frame 40 is of rigid construction. The ends of the trusses 42 are connected to the side frame members 41 preferably by telescoping connections, including tubes 50 and 52, which permit variation in the lateral spacing of the parallel side beams 41. Clamps 6t} maintain the lateral adjustment.

The side frame beams 4-1 preferably are of elongated shoe 77 which is hinged thereto at 78b.

answer are form so that they will have a leveling action on the float pan 39, as will later more clearly appear. However, in order to further enhance this leveling action, bogie trucks 65 are mounted at each end of each side beam 41 and, consequently, at each corner of the main frame 40, as shown in FIGURE 1. Each of the bogie trucks 65 comprises a pair of forward and rearward flanged wheels 66 which will operate on the associated side forms 30. These wheels are carried adjacent the forward and rearward ends of a longitudinally extending beam or frame 67 by means of axles carried thereby. This member 67 is of elongated form and intermediate its forward and rearward ends it is pivoted, by a pin 68, to a support bracket -59. This bracket 69 is pivoted by a pin 7% to the beam 41. The distance between the rear wheels of the front bogies and the forward wheels of the rear bogies preferably is sufiicient to span at least one section of the 7 forms Sli As the machine moves along the side forms, the elongated beams 41 will produce a leveling action between the front and rear bogies. This leveling action will be enhanced further by the pivoting of the bogie frames 67 about the pivots 63. Since the bogie frames 67 are pivoted midway of their forward and rearward ends, any vertical movement at any corner of the frame, that is at the pivot 68, will be reduced by the articulated mountings of the bogies.

The metering screed 38 is disposed behind the rear wheels of the forward bogie trucks 65 and is supported by the frame id for vertical adjustment and for transverse reciprocation. The overall structure of the screed and the manner in which it is supported by the frame 49 is illustrated best in FIGURES 2 to 6. As indicated above, this screed has a surfacing plate or shoe which is narrow in its forward and rearward extent and is oscillated only to a limited extent.

The screed 38 is of a fixed length except that extra end sections can be added to or removed from the screed in accordance with width changes in the machine. The screed 38 is of rigid box-like form and will extend from the forms 3% at one side to the forms 3d at the other side. In the example shown herein in FIGURES 1 and 2, the front and rear plates of the screed 38 are split midway between its ends and are provided with adjusting mechanism at the joint so that a gable crown adjustment can be obtained but other crowning arrangements may be provided.

The screed 38 is provided with a lower surfacing plate or shoe 76 (FIGURES 3 and 4) which extends transversely substantially the full distance between the side forms 38 and is suspended from the front and rear plates 73 and 7? by means which may include the rods 82. At each end the shoe 76 is provided with a spring-loaded end It is also provided with a forward upright wall 78 and a similar rear wall 79. Each end shoe 77 is provided with a lower surfacing shoe 76a which is substantially an extension of the main shoe 7s. It is also provided with an angled material-engaging face 73a (FIGURES 2 and 3) extending forwardly and laterally of the material-engaging face 78 of the screed itself. Each shoe 77 is provided with a pair of spring plunger units 86 by means of which it is suspended from the associated end of the screed 38, one of the units 8t) being supported on the main part of the screed and the other by a bracket 81 (FIGURES 3 and 5) se- 0 cured to the face of the screed 38. As will later appear,

the narrow main shoe 76 of the screed will ordinarily be supported at a level just above or below the level of the upper edges of the side forms 30 but the hinged shoes 77 will be forced by the spring units 843 into yielding sliding contact with the upper edges of the side forms 30. This will prevent material from bleeding outwardly along the front of the screed beyond the side forms.

The screed 38 is supported at each of its ends by an adjustable suspending guide sleeve and rod unit 85. Each unit 85 comprises a guide sleeve or housing 86 which is rigidly secured in upright position to the associated side beam 41 of the frame 40 by means of the brackets $7 which are rigidly bolted to the upper and lower surfaces thereof by the bolts 38. Slidably mounted within the sleeve 86 is the enlarged lower guide portion of a rod d9. A reduced portion 90 of the guide rod 89 extends upwardly slidably through a cap 91 on the upper end of the guide sleeve 86. The upper extremity of the portion 90 is threaded, as indicated at 92, for receiving stop and lock nuts 93 which will be disposed above the cap 91. It will be apparent that by adjustment of the nuts 93, the lowermost position of the rod 89 will be limited to a predetermined point. However, the rod 89 will be free to slide upwardly in the sleeve 86 until the shoulder 94 thereof engages the under surface of the cap 91.

Each end of the screed 38 is connected to the unit 85 by means including a roller bracket 95 (FIGURES 3 and which is pivotally attached at its lower end to the screed by means of a bearing collar 96 which is keyed on a transverse pivot shaft 97. This shaft 97 is rotatably supported within the screed structure by means of the bushings 98 which are suitably attached to the front and rear walls 78 and 79 of the screed. The bracket 95 is provided with an upstanding roller-supporting yoke portion 99 which projects above the top of the screed and which carries a pair of transversely spaced grooved rollers 100. These rollers 100 are mounted on pins 101 carried by the yoke portion 99 and are adapted to move back and forth transversely within a guideway formed by the pair of transversely extending guide rods 102 which are secured in vertically spaced parallel relationship on a bracket 103. This bracket 103 is rigidly secured to the lower end of the rod 89. Thus, the screed 33 is supported for reciprocation on the brackets 103 which are suspended by the units 85.

In order to take any thrust exerted against the screed 38 as it moves forwardly, thrust rollers 105 (FIGURES 3 and 4) are provided. These rollers 105 are mounted with their axes vertically disposed on brackets 106 supported on the forward edges of braces 107 which depend from the outermost channel members 47 of the frame 40. Each roller 105 is disposed within a horizontally disposed guide strap 108 of U-form bolted to a wear plate 105a that is also bolted to the rear wall 79 of the screed 38. The guide strap 108 is free to move vertically relative to the roller 105 upon vertical movement of the screed 38 as well as transversely thereof upon transverse reciprocation of the screed. The rollers 105 will engage the wear plates 105a on the rear wall of the screed to take any rearward thrust imparted to the screed.

For reciprocating or oscillating the screed 38 transversely, a hydraulic motor 110 (FIGURES 6 and 7) is provided and is supported adjacent the screed by means of a platform 111 which is carried by channel members 47 of the frame 40. This motor 110 drives, by means of a chain and sprocket drive 112, a reducing gear unit 113 which is supported by supporting plates 114 depending from the platform 111. This unit 113 drives a crankshaft 115 which has a crank 11d on one end thereof. This crank 116 is pivoted at 117 to one end of a connecting rod 118. The other end of this rod 118 is pivoted at 119 to the rear wall 79 of the screed 38. Thus, operation of the motor 110 will produce transverse reciprocation or oscillation of the screed 38. This oscillation will be permitted by the mounting of the screed on the suspending units 85 and by its connections to the rollers 105.

As previously indicated, ordinarily the screed 38 is suspended at a predetermined level by means of the rod and sleeve units 85. To raise the screed to a higher level when it is not in use, a hydraulic system is provided. This system includes a hydraulic ram 120 (FIGURES 1 and 2) which is supported by one of the frame members 47 adjacent a midpoint on the frame .0. The cylinder of the ram is pivoted at 121 to a rigid support 122 carried by the frame member 17. The piston rod of the ram 120 is pivotally connected at 123 to a rocker arm 124 which is attached to a transversely extending rock shaft 125. This shaft 125 is rotatably mounted in bearings 125 mounted on the frame members 17.

The rock shaft 125 (FilGURES 1, 2 and 4) carries adjacent its ends arm members 127 which are clamped thereto by clamps 127a for vertical swinging movement about the shaft axis. These arm members 127 are pivoted at their outer ends, as indicated at 11.125, to the upper ends of turnbuckle rods 129. The lower ends of these rods are provided with yokes 130 which carry grooved rollers 131 and transverseiy extending guide rods 132 d through the yokes and are cradied in these rollers 1. it. These rods 132 are carried by brackets 133 rigidly secured to the top of the screed Thus, this connection between the rods 129 and the screed 38 permits the transverse oscillations of the screed. dowever, by rockthe arms 127' upwardly, the screed 38 can belifted to its uppermost position. The shaft 125 can be rocked by control of the flow of hydraulic fluid to the double acting ram 120. Vertical movement of the screed 38, under control of the ram 120, will be permitted by the suspending units 85 since the rods 89 thereof will merely slide in the associated guide sleeves 86. However, the lowermost position of the screed will always be limited by these units 35 because of contact of the nuts 93 with the caps 91.

It will be apparent that when the end sections 38:: are added to the ends of the screed 38, they will be added at the joints 38b (FIGURE 3) between the suspending rod units 85 and the mountings for the thrust rollers 105 so as not to interfere with the screed suspending units 85, thrust bearing rollers 105 and associated connections to the screed, and the lifting rods 129 and their associated connections to the screed. This will also permit adjustment of the side beams 41 relative to the forward and rearward trusses 42.

A finisher float pan unit 39 may be, as shown in FIG- URE 1, disposed behind the screed 38. It extends transversely across the machine and has a shoe or surfacing member of substantial width.

The pan unit 39 is supported at each of its ends, as shown in FIGURE 1, by adjustable suspending guide sleeve and rod units 1$5 which are identical with the units 85 that support the screed 38 which are carried by the side beam members 49. However, since the unit 39 is fixed and does not reciprocate or oscillate transversely, the lower ends of the units need only be pivotally connected to the ends of the unit 39. When the machine frame 46 is expanded or contracted laterally, extra pan sections may be inserted, as in the case of the screed 38.

The crown of the shoe 140 may be suitably adjusted, like that of the shoe 76 of the screed 38, as by means indicated generally at 142 in FIGURE 1 which may be actuated by shaft 152 extending to one side of the machine. A system like that for raising and lowering the screed 38 may be provided for the screed 39 and may include a ram 220 and an associated rocker shaft 225 which actuates the supporting arm members 227.

It will be apparent from the above that our invention includes improved means for suspending the screed structure for reciprocation transversely and for vertical adjustment as desired without interference with the screed reciprocation in combination with the flexibly mounted shoes which engage the upper edges of the side forms even though the main portion of the screed is adjusted downwardly between the side forms.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is:

1. A finisher machine adapted to operate along laterally spaced upstanding side forms and to produce an accurate surface on workable paving material previously laid between the forms comprising a frame, traction members for supporting the frame for movement along said side forms, a screed carried by the frame and extending transversely thereof for acting on the material between the side forms and having a main portion of less length than the distance between said forms, adjustable means for suspending the screed from the frame for reciprocation relative thereto so that the screed is supported independently of the side forms and its main portion can be adjusted downwardly Within the associated side forms when desired, means for reciprocating the screed relative to the frame, form-contacting end shoes mounted at each end of the main portion of the screed for vertical movement relative thereto and adapted to extend outwardly from said main portion and contact with and slide along the forms, and yieldable means for urging said shoes downwardly into contact with the forms to prevent bleeding of material beyond the side forms at the ends of the main portion of the screed.

2. A finisher machine according to claim 1 in which said main portion of the screed compn'ses a main materialsurfacing shoe having opposed outer ends and each of said form-contacting end shoes comprises a lower surfacing shoe hinged at its inner end to the adjacent outer end of the main shoe, said screed also having an upstanding material-engaging face extending along said main shoe, and each of said form-contacting end shoes having an upstanding material-engaging face extending forwardly and laterally outwardly of the said material-engaging face of the screed.

3. A finisher machine according to claim 2 in which said adjustable means for suspending the screed from the frame comprises a guide sleeve and guide rod unit at each end of the screed, said unit comprising a vertically disposed guide sleeve carried by the frame in rigid upright position, and a rod slidably mounted in said sleeve and projecting upwardly through a cap at the upper end thereof, said rod having a guide portion Within and coopcrating with said sleeve, the upwardly projecting portion of said rod having a stop member adjustably mounted thereon for cooperating with said cap to limit the lowermost position of the corresponding end of the screed, and means carried by the frame and connected to the screed for raising it between its lowermost operative position and an upper inoperative position.

4. A finisher machine according to claim 3 including cooperative guide means between the lower end of said rod and a hanger carried by the associated end of the screed for suspending the screed for lateral movement relative thereto upon reciprocation of the screed.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,782,707 Bayley Nov. 25, 1930 1,833,387 Briggs Nov. 24, 1931 1,988,315 Jackson Ian. 15, 1935 2,054,263 McCrery Sept. 15, 1936 2,054,436 ,Mosel Sept. 15, 1936 2,094,910 Baily Oct. 5, 1937 2,125,254 Creason July 26, 1938 2,225,481 Lundbye Dec. 17, 1940 2,248,247 Nichols July 8, 1941 2,261,766 Jackson Nov. 4, 1941 2,358,085 Millikin Sept. 12, 1944 2,426,703 Millikin Sept. 2, 1947 2,473,961 Mandt June 21, 1949 2,511,589 Jaeger June 13, 1950 2,542,979 Barnes Feb. 27, 1951 2,592,960 Schulze Apr. 15, 1952 2,945,427 Gerk July 19, 1960 

